Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

If the people are not what the government want them to be, the government believes that this is the people's fault and that they should change. This is a very common government view which explains why Gauteng is trying to block a scheme to save babies who are abandoned by their mothers. It is not only an undemocratic attitude - it makes the government less effective.

This is the view of my weekly Against the Tide  column sent to subscribers this morning. To read it, please visit the Against the Tide  website and subscribe. If you can't afford to subscribe, contact us at info@againstthetide.co.za to discuss a reduced or free subscription. 

Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.